Koronis Family Research Articles

Minor planets and related objects. XXV - UBV photometry of 145 faint asteroids

Magnitudes and colors on the UBV system are presented for 145 minor planets, including 31 objects in the Eos family, 14 in the Koronis family, 6 in the Nysa family, 11 in the Themis family, 4 Hungarias, 7 Hildas, 8 Trojans, and several objects in unusual orbits. Clearly defined color groups for the Eos, Koronis, Nysa, and Themis family members are strongly suggestive of origin from discrete parent bodies. The Nysas apparently show large light-curve amplitudes. The Mars-orbit crossers 1977RA and 1980 = 1950LA, the earth-orbit crosser 1976UA, and several main-belt asteroids are found to show peculiar colors of unknown significance. The Mars-orbit crosser 1916 = 1953RA appears to be a typical S object, while 1474 Beira and 1977VA show neutral colors. Asteroids at semimajor axis in excess of 4 AU (Trojans preceding and following Jupiter, 279 Thule, and 944 Hidalgo) all belong to a color group centered at B-V = 0.72, U-B = 0.24.

Asteroid Families: Observational Evidence for Common Origins

Colors of minor planets in the UBV system indicate compositions quite distinct from those of the field population in each of three Hirayama families. The Eos and Koronis families apparently originated from the collisional fragmentation of undifferentiated silicate bodies, and the Nysa group from a geochemically differentiated parent body.